Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The other night we made a Pot Roast in our crock pot which was very nice but to me it was the Fall sides that really stood out in this meal.Brussel Sprouts often get a bad wrap & I'll admit I was never a fan of them myself. Then one year I went to the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival & tried these amazing sprouts cooked until brown & tender with bacon & garlic & I was sold. Cooked right, brussel sprouts might just be one of my favorite vegetables now. Even Matt who told me he was not a fan of them ate these happily.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon & cook until begins to render some of its fat. Add the olive oil, garlic & brussel sprouts. Cook for a minute or two. Cover & turn heat down to low. Let cook for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the brussel sprouts are tender & browning.

Serves 2Celeriac or celery root will never win any vegetable beauty contests but flavor-wise it's certainly a winner. Its wonderful in soups & I hear makes a great fritter but I decided to try this gratin I found in Jamie at Home.I do have to say this recipe was not edited very well in the cookbook, with ingredients that never get used & some ingredients added twice in the recipe. I was able to figure it out because I've made gratins before but for a newer cook it would be pretty frustrating. Luckily, the finished result was very tasty & a great pairing with beef. I used buttermilk instead of the typical cream to add a little extra tang. I also used thyme instead of the called for sage because I was using thyme in my beef as well.

Put the potatoes & celeriac into a pot of cold water. Salt & bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Drain & let sit a minute or two. Return to the pot & mix with the buttermilk, thyme, garlic & half of the cheese. Season with salt & pepper.

I still need to get into the Brussel sprout bandwagon, they are one of the very few ingredients that I don't like. Maybe I need to try them this way. Bacon makes everything taste better, even sprouts, right? :-p

I love brussel sprouts roasted in the oven with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper....they carmalize up really nice. Thanks for sharing your sides....with Thanksgiving coming up some great ideas. Stacy

Great sides! Brussels sprouts are one of my favorite veggies, and bacon can only make them better. Love the idea of a celeriac gratin; I usually add it to mashed potatoes, braises or soups, and I'm going to have to try this one too!